Teen Found Guilty Of Raping & Killing His Math Teacher

Chism, now 16, was convicted as an adult.

A Salem, Mass. teenager was convicted Tuesday of raping and killing his high school math teacher.

When he was 14, Philip Chism followed teacher Colleen Ritzer, 24, into a school bathroom and proceeded to strangle her, stab her at least six times, and rape her.

The gruesome event happened on Oct. 22, 2013, when Ritzer asked Chism to stay after school. Another student witnessed her trying to engage in small talk with Chism about his recent move from Clarksville, Tenn. He then became visibly upset and the teacher changed the subject.

A short time later, Ritzer left the classroom. Jurors were shown chilling surveillance video that showed Ritzer walking down the hallway to the bathroom. Seconds later, Chism is seen poking his head out of her classroom and looking down the hall. He then goes back into the classroom, but comes right back out with his hood on. Chism is then shown putting on a pair of gloves as he walks into the bathroom. Minutes later, he is shown emerging from the bathroom carrying the black pants Ritzer was wearing.

A bloody box cutter, a mask, and gloves were later found in his backpack by police, who found Chism walking alongside a local highway not long after the murder. Chism, now 16, was convicted as an adult.Defense attorneys attempted to argue the student was suffering from a psychotic disorder at the time of the slaying. However, he was found fit to stand trial.

“Because he was a juvenile when the crime was committed, he will reportedly be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 to 25 years,” according to CBS News.